Vacuum fuel-feed tank



May 4 1926. V I

w. E. HART VACUUM FUEL FEED TANK.

Fil'ed August 5, 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J 5 m M m 2 1 4 m y 1 i1 9 x 4 2 WW z; M 3 n w l ave. W 5 7 Ill 1 2 4 3 m m 7 215, w 2 0 6 m u zmwzz a FIGURE 4 98 E w M 05 4 l w nu h 2 l w 4 2 7 I 5 v l m5 2 a w m G 4 H w m 71 2 9 W 2 2M2 4 My Patented M y 4, 1926' STATEs WILLIA IM E. HART, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

VACUUM FUEL-FEED TANK.

Application filed August 5, 1924. Serial No. 730,231.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Human E; HART, a citizen of the United States, and residing near San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum FuelrFeed Tanks, of which the following. is a specification.

It is one object of the invention to provide suitable means whereby air will be freely admitted to both suction and dis charge chambers of the tank to permit the easy feeding of fuel oil therefrom, but which will efiectually prevent discharge of oil or vapour from either of said chambers to the atmosphere.

It is another object to provide adevice of the character indicated wherein a novel form of floatsuspension is provided whereby to insure a positive movementof the float longitudinally of the float chamber and maintain the axial alignment of the float in the chamber.

It is still another object to provide a novel arrangement of air and fuel passages concentrated in the removable head of the tank whereby to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of manufacture.

Still a further object is to provide a novel and positively acting float operated means for operating the valves controlling said air and fuel passages.

Finally, it is anobject to provide a device of the character indicated that. will be simple in operation, economicalto manufacture, durable, and highly efficient in its practical application.

In the drawing Figure 1v isa plan View of the tank embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4+4 of Figure 2.

Figureb is a detail illustration of the float operated valve mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I show at 1 a rectangular fuel. tank divided by a partition 2 into two chambers, a suction chamber 3 and a discharge cham her 4.

Depending from the center of partition 2 is a tube 5 communicating with chambers 3 and 4. At 6 is a plug screwed into the bottom of tank 1 and carrying a guide 7. In guide 7 is slidably mounteda stem Scarrying a disc 9 and terminating in a twisted end 10.

Fuel drawn from chamber 4 through discharge opening 11 to the carbureter not shown.

The tank 1 is provided with a passage or conduit 12 formed by arranging a partition 13 acrosstone corner of chamber 3, this conduit communicating with chamber 4. andt-he upper end of the tank for. the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Tank 1 isprovided with. a top 14 held, in position inv any suitable manner asby clamp 15, and carries all of the valves and valve operating. mechanism, including the fi'Qflt, for supplying the tank with air and fuel.

In the top 14 is formed an air conduit 16 communicating with. the atmosphere at 17 and controlled. by a check-valve 18 at this end, and communicating with the passage 12 at its other end 19.

At 20 I show a conduit connecting passage 16 with the underside of top 14, its upper end being normally closed by a ball check valve 21 and its lower end being flared outwardly to form a. valve seat 22. This conduit 20,com 1nunicates with the underside oftop 14 by means of a short conduit, 23, and the valve seat 22. communicateswith the top of top. 14v by means of. a short conduit 24, conduit 24 communicating with the intake manifold of an engine by means of a pipe at 25'.

At 26 is a valve adapted to seat on valve seat 22 and-carrying a pin 27 arranged to displace ball valve 21 when valve 26 is closed, and topermit the closing of valve 21 when valve 26 is opened.

Valve 26 is operated by means of a lever 28 engaging its lower end at 29 and pivotally mounted at 30 on arm 31 depending from the lower surface of top 14. The opposite end of lever 28 lies in a vertical plane and hasconverging upper and lower edges 32 and At 34 is an arm pivotally mounted at 35 on the top of float 36 and carrying a roller 37 adapted to engageedges 3233 of lever 28. The roller 37 is maintained in contact with edges 3233 by a spring 38 attached to arm 34 and to a sleeve 39 rigidly mounted on float 36 in parallel relation to its axis. 2

A second sleeve 40 is arranged on float 33 diametrically opposite to sleeve 39 and Cab parallel thereto. At 41 is shown a wire having two portions 423 engaging said sleeves 3910 and a connecting portion 44 arranged at right angles to the direction of movement of the float. The portion 42 is mounted rigidly in top 14 by any suitable means as set screw 45.

Assumingthe several parts to be assembled and fuel being drawn from chamber 4 through passage 11. g

Since the tank is well filled with fuel the float 36 is in an elevated position with wheel '37 on lever 32 bearing against the upper end of edge 32 of lever 28 thereby causing lever 28 to maintain valve 26 close on its seat 22. While in this position the conduit 24 is effectively closed so that the suction of the engine through pipe 25 is not communicated to chamber 3. l/Vith the valve 26 in this position, however, the ball valve 21 is opened, as by stem 27, so that air may readily enter chamber 3 through passage 16 and valve 18 to replace the fuel drawn therefrom. Likewise, air is now admitted to chamber 4: through conduits 12 and 16 and valve 18 to replace fuel drawn therefrom. By using check valve 18 the air may enter as required but any overflow of oil or vapors generated in the tankis effectually prevented from escaping from the tank.

With this arrangement of valves and passages a uniform air pressure is maintained in chambers 3 and 4 while valve 26 is closed, and the two chambers are in communication so that an undue generation of gases in one chamber will find an outlet to the other chamber but not to the atmosphere.

If, now, the fuel permits the float to drop sufficiently far to permit roller 37 to pass over the end of lever 28 the valve 26 is instantly opened because the spring 38 causes the roller to advance along edge 33 and force the long end of lever 28 upwardly.

The instant valve 26 is opened the check valve 21 closes thereby preventing access of air to chamber 3, and conduit 2418 opened so that the suction through conduit 24-25 quickly draws fuel into chamber 3 through intake pipe 46 which leads to the supply tank not shown.

The pressure in tank 3 being lowered below that in chamber 4, the upward suction on the fuel in tube 5 quickly draws disc 9 into position against its lower end thereby preventing the backwardmovement of. the

fuel. The twisted end 10 causes the disc 9 to rotate as it contacts with the end of tube 5 and thereby insures a positive seating of the same.

The sleeve 39 is extended upwardly a distance beyond the top of float 36 so that it will contact with the top 14: and thereby provide a stop to prevent the roller 37 from running off of the upper end of the upper edge 32 of lever 28 when the float rises.

It is to be understood, of course, that while 1 have herein shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, changes in form, construction and method of operation may be made within the scope of the appended claims;

Li claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a chamber, afloat mounted for vertical displacement therein, a valve controlled port in said chamber, a lever arranged to actuate said valve and having the end of its longer arm arranged in a vertical plate and provided with converging edges, an arm pivotally mounted on said float and adapted to engage said edges, and resilient means for maintaining said arm in engagement with said edges.

2. A. device of the character described including a chamber, a top therefor, a support rigidly mounted in said top, a float mounted for vertical displacement on said support, a valve cont-rolled port in said chamber, a lever arranged to actuate said valve and having the end of its longer arm arranged in a vertical plane. and provided with converging edges, an arm pivotally mounted on said float and adapted to engage said edges, and resilient means for maintaining said arm in engagement with said edges.

WILLIAM E. HART. 

